This invention pertains to crop harvesting devices such as combines and more particularly to a fan device to be removably installed at the discharge from a combine and which will distribute the chaff from that end in a safe manner and over a neatly prescribed area.
Nearly all farm combines now discharge straw, stalk, chaff and the like from an opening located at the rear of the combine. This material is somewhat distributed by a horizontally rotating beater device adapted to break up clumps of material. Frequently these beaters are used in pairs sometimes with meshed blades. However, even with the overlap, much chaff and finer particles fall through the blades.
By the present invention an auxiliary spreading device is provided. Particularly in fields subject to "no-till" or "minimum till" farming, it is very desirable to have the most nearly possible, even division of waste material. When a field is plowed, this material is readily disposed of regardless of spreading. However, when seed is to be planted in unplowed ground on top of last year's refuse as it is in "no-till" farming, it becomes highly desirable to have a relatively even distribution of that refuse.
To accomplish the distribution, a secondary distribution is desirable, and for that purpose, added devices to accomplish the desired result have been used. The present invention is for an improved secondary distribution device. The novel device is readily mounted and removed, is flexibly adjustable for best distribution and is constructed so as to be safer than the normal distributing devices.